Writing Great Books for Young Adults

by Regina Brooks
“Authors need to truly examine the issues that the character is facing from 360 degrees.”
--Jennifer Hunt, Editorial Director at Little Brown & Co.

“To my mind, a common mistake is thinking that every teen is a sullen, cantankerous misanthrope and therefore his character is one dimensional.”
--Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press

“Something about the writing needs to make me want to know what happens next and to make me want to keep on reading.”
--Phoebe Yeh, Editorial Director at Harper Collins Children’s Books

“I have an open conversational style with my authors… We go back and ford with ideas, suggestions, comments, and so on, for as long as it takes.”
--Michelle Poploff, VP and Editorial Director at Delacorte Press

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From Regina Brooks, founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and a top YA agent who has been acquiring YA books for over a decade, comes the ONLY guide on how to write for young adults.

With an 87 percent increase in the number of titles published in the last two years, the young adult market is one of the healthiest segments in the industry. Despite this, little has been written to help authors hone their craft to truly connect with this audience. Writing Great Books for Young Adults gives writers the advice they need to tap this incredible market. Filled with tips and advice from agents, editors, and successful YA authors, Writing Great books for Young Adults is your ticket to an incredible YA career.

Topics covered include:
o Listening to the voices of youth
o Meeting your young protagonist
o Developing a writing style
o Constructing plots
o Finding an agent and editor

Ms. Regina Brooks is the founder and President of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC and the Executive Director of the YB Literary Foundation, a non-profit organization which promotes literature to youth. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors. When not in her New York office, she can be found scouting for new talent from the various conferences she attends around the world, including ALA, SCBWI and the Bologna Book Fair.